Tetraodóntido (Torquigener flavimaculosus), Pistol Bay, Pafos, Chipre, 2021-12-12, DD 11

About this work

Approx. 6 centimetres (2.4 in) long pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus), Pistol Bay, Paphos, Cyprus. This pufferfish is native to the Western Indian Ocean but has emigrated to the Red and Mediterranean Seas. Their natural prey are crustaceans and mollusks that they crush with their four large teeth (which give name to the order Tetraodontiformes). As with many other puffers, this pufferfish has a symbiotic relationship with types of bacteria that produces tetradotoxin which is a powerful neurotoxin. Tetradoxin is found in their skin and internal organs like liver and is approximately 100 times more toxic than cyanide, what makes pufferfishes among the most poisonous vertebrates in the world. They are therefore highly toxic to most animals when eaten. Nevertheless, the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in Japan, Korea, and China when prepared by specially trained chefs who know which part is safe to eat and in what quantity. Furthermore one of the most known characteristics of pufferfishes is that they can inflate taking water or air an so multiply their size several times to avoid that they can be swallowed by predators.